Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/266

 240 this it is said: "Cast thy bread upon the water, for in time to come thou wilt find it again ." (Eccles. xi., i. )

III. The Bridegroom and the Angel of Death.

It is told of a certain Reuben the Libellarius, that he had but once only during his life committed a sin, which was the following:—

One day when he went to synagogue in the morning he found a man sitting in his place. He rebuked him, and said: "In the place of great men thou must not sit." The man immediately went away, and sat by the door weeping bitterly. His tears reached the throne of glory, and God therefore sent the angel of death to take his (Reuben's) son; and he had begotten his son after his eightieth year. When the angel of death came to him, Reuben recognised him, and said: "Why hast thou come here? has the time arrived for me to quit the world?" "No," replied the angel, "God has sent me to take away thy son's life." "Why?" said he. "Because," replied the angel, "thou didst rebuke this poor man." "If," said he, "I am thus found guilty grant me thirty days during which time I may marry my son to his bride, so that he may rejoice; and then take his life." The angel of death granted him thirty days. God was angered fourfold with the angel of death. Reuben then divided his property into three portions; one portion he dealt out to the poor and needy, the second portion to rejoice his son, saying: "Perhaps this verse will be realised, viz.: 'Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, but charity delivereth from death.'" The third portion he put away to see what would happen. After twenty-nine days had passed, during which time he had rejoiced his son's heart, the prophet Elijah came and sat by the door of the lad, who immediately trembled, and said: "Why hast thou come here, old man?" He replied: "My son, I am Elijah who have come to tell thee good tidings." The lad, making obeisance to him, asked him: "What good tidings have you?" To which he replied: "To-morrow the angel of death will take thy soul, my son." The lad then said: "Is it not true, old man, that from the beginning of the world it has been so, that as soon as one's day comes he must die?" "Yes," replied the prophet, "but thou wilt not die as other people." "How is that?" said the lad. The prophet replied: "The angel of death wil come against thee with the fourfold anger with which he was rebuked by God." "What can I do to save myself," said the lad? He replied: "When thy father goes up before the ark and thou standest at his left side, watch and thou wilt see a poor man attired in dirty torn clothes. Pay him honour, for he is the angel of death, who will perhaps have m.ercy upon thee." Accordingly, on the morrow, when the time arrived, he again saw that man, and greeting him, said: "O my master, get up and sit in the place of the great." To which he replied: "O my son, but yesterday thy father said to me, 'in the place of great men do not sit,' and now thou biddest me [sit there]." The lad replied: "I wish to do thee honour." At which the angel replied: "May he to whom honour belongs have compassion upon thee." He then forthwith